An examination of the extended delays leading up to Maj. Nidal Hasan’s court-martial shows that the Army has spent roughly $4 million on personnel and other expenditures.
Included in that is the $291,000 paid to Hasan while he has remained in custody since the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting.
Army officials refused to comment in any fashion about the costs arising from the trial. However, they noted that the money had already been budgeted, stating it would have been spent elsewhere if not on Hasan’s trial, according to Fort Hood public affairs.
The largest amount of money arises from the six officers detailed to the case. They rank from major to colonel and some have more than 20 years in the Army.
Basing salary information off military pay charts, the Army has paid $2.1 million in the 44 months the legal team has been dedicated solely to Hasan’s case.
Five paralegals, both civilian and soldiers, also were assigned to the case, wracking up an estimated bill of about $800,000 over 3½ years.
“At the end of the day, it will have cost millions,” Hasan’s former defense attorney John Galligan said.
The Army also spent thousands on Hasan’s security.
The Army made an agreement with the Bell County Sheriff’s Department to house Hasan in Bell County Jail, where he has remained since April 2010.
Hasan resides in an infirmary cell and is watched 24 hours a day by guards working an overtime assignment. In total, the Army has paid the county $548,160 to house Hasan, according to documents provided by the sheriff’s department.
The Army also placed increased security measures around the Fort Hood court where Hasan will be tried. About 180 large metal Conex crates were placed around the perimeter of the property, stacked three stories high in some places.
Barriers capable of withstanding rocket fire also were stacked outside the courthouse.
Online costs showed an estimate of about $180,000 for those security measures, based on quotes from businesses. However, the Army refused to elaborate on the nature of where it acquired the crates and barriers and how much money was spent.
“To ensure the safety and security of those involved in the case, we do not discuss anything on security measures,” according to a statement from Fort Hood. “The costs associated with these security measures is in itself a revealing fact that could compromise our security measures.”
Several other expenditures, such as the cost of flying Hasan to and from the court via helicopter or the overtime assignments for soldiers detailed to the trial, were not estimated.